The Girl Next Door
by caramelapples
Summary: William Adama has met his match. And he likes her even though he doesn't like liking her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- This was a random thing that just popped into my head and I just needed to put it down. It seemed very cute to me so I thought I'd post it and I hope that you'll like it.  
**

**  
The Girl Next Door**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 1**_

The young boy scrambled out of the bushes and ran towards his mother.

"Ma! Look what I found!" he shouted, excitedly and waved his hand in the air. "It's a locket!" he shouted again. "It's a locket!"

"Let me see," the young woman said, reaching out for him to place the locket in her hands. "Where did you find it?" Her son dropped the silver object into his mother's palm, looking intently at his mother's expression. "Oh my goodness, it's lovely!" It was a small heart-shaped locket with a silver chain. She opened it and found it empty, without any pictures or anything that might indicate who the locket belonged to.

The young boy beamed in return. "I found it in the bushes there!" he said, pointing towards the bushes that formed some sort of border that framed the property. Beyond the borders were woods that were untamed and wild.

"Do you want to keep it, William?" the young woman asked her son.

He nodded and smiled when she gave the locket to him in return. "Give it to a girl you like," she said, knowing that her son was entirely too young to be liking girls. She giggled at the notion and stood up. "Let's go back inside," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "It's getting dark and we're having our new neighbours over for dinner. We want you to be presentable."

* * *

The young boy stared at his new neighbours. There was a beautiful woman and a man. They had three girls with them. The youngest was the prettiest of them all although she seemed like a _real_ big show off. She stared at him in return and he quickly averted his gaze, looking at his veggies instead. 

When he was sure that she wasn't looking, he let his gaze settle on her again. _Little miss perfect! _Why did she have to come? It was the _second_ time the new neighbours had come over for dinner and they had to bring _her. _Her sisters were older than her and didn't seem interested in talking to him.

But not _her. _She had to be the first one to say hello and she had the nerve to tell him not to pick his nose in public. Only his mother got to say that.

_Little Miss-Know-It-All. _He sniffed. She had her nose in the air and it seemed as though she didn't like him very much. _Well, if that's the case, he wouldn't like her either. _

She had already finished _her _veggies and asked for some more. _Show off! _he thought.

"It seems that Laura here loves vegetables," his mother said, smiling. "It's really good for you, Laura. William absolutely refuses to touch his," his mother complained.

"Oh, Mrs. Adama-" Laura's mother started.

"Please call me Evelyn," his mother said, smiling warmly.

"Evelyn, children are like that. It took me quite a while to get Laura to touch long beans," Mrs. Roslin said and smiled warmly as well.

The young boy sniffed again. _Well, if Little Miss Perfect wants to compete, I'll show her! _He immediately started to consume his vegetables at a quicker pace and to his mother's amazement-and his father's as well-he finished his vegetables without a complain at all. He asked for more and Laura, who was sitting across him at the table, stared at him, not being able to decide if she found it funny or annoying.

_That'll show her! _he thought, smiling smugly to himself. He glanced at her to see her staring at him with those wide green eyes and he found himself-much to his chagrin-liking her eyes. They were so green and seemed as deep as the ocean. Every adult at the table somehow found his vegetable eating feat funny and the table erupted in laughter.

William shrugged and wiped his mouth while _Little Miss Perfect _stared at him and he felt proud for being able to show off to _her. _

_Laura._

_Little Miss Perfect who infuriated his little heart. _

_To be continued…_

**A/N- So did you like it? Please tell me and leave reviews! I'll appreciate it a lot. Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2

The Girl Next Door

By caramelapples

Chapter 2

"Will!"

The young boy dropped his paper plane and ran down the stairs, his shoes thudding against the bare wooden steps. He reached the kitchen almost breathless and leaned against the door frame. "Yes, Ma?" he asked, curious as to what his mother would want him to do.

"Our neighbours dropped Laura off here for the afternoon.," his mother said. "They had to go off somewhere and they needed someone to watch her so I volunteered. She's outside playing with Harris. Go and keep her company."

"But Ma! She-" he started to protest but his mother made a shooing motion for him to go outside.

"I'm sure you'll be good friends."

_Good friends! _"Humph!" he scoffed and sulked all the way outside. He saw _Little Miss Perfect _running around in the open field behind the house, chasing the golden retriever and grunted under his breath. Now, he would have to waste the whole afternoon with _her_ instead of playing with his brand new model of paper plane.

Laura saw him approaching and stopped running. She squatted beside the dog and started to scratch the back of its neck. "Good boy!" she said as the dog wagged its tail.

"Harris doesn't like to be scratched like that!" he said.

"He sure does!" she retorted in her all-knowing manner.

William wanted to pull her perfect mane of wavy red hair but decided to be mature. "He does not!" he exclaimed. He would stick to words like an _adult._

"He does! See? He likes it!" she said, staring intently at him.

"Fine!" The young boy sighed, as though he had the weight of the world on his little shoulders and sat beside her. "Ma told me to keep you company or I won't be here."

"I don't need you to keep me company," she snapped.

"I have to take care of you," he said and sighed again, shaking his head.

"No, you don't! I can take care of myself!" With that, she stood up and stalked away towards the taller and thicker hedges.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" he called and scrambled after her.

She ignored him and kept walking, her dress brushing against the taller grass near the hedges.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he called and finally caught up with her. "Where are you going?!"

"Exploring the place."

"You can't explore the woods! It's dangerous!" he exclaimed, stomping his foot in frustration. She turned to him and placed her hands on her hips.

"And why not?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I said so! It's my decision!" he countered. "This is my house!"

"Do you even know _what _'decision' means, smarty pants?"

"Of _course_ I do!" he answered, indignant that she was questioning _his _authority.

"The woods are _not_ yours!" she exclaimed, her hands clutched in little fists on her hips. "Besides, I'm bored! And I want to do something!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll do _something_!" He grabbed her hands and crawled into a small opening in the hedges where he had made an impressive den, with the help of his father of course and without the knowledge of his mother. She followed him, not without protesting before completely keeping quiet when she found herself in the strange place.

"Where is this?" she asked, her voice losing the superior quality it possessed before.

"My secret hideout," he said proudly. "Nobody knows this place," he said, and pulled a string, lighting up the place with a bulb in a wooden box that had a glass window built in it. "Except my Pa."

"How did you do that?!" she asked, amazed and wide eyed. "Did you built this place by yourself?"

"Well-uh-My Pa made it for me," he said, reluctant to admit that he _did _have help in building the place.

He was glad that she had stopped paying attention and had decided to explore _his _den.

"Do you like it?" he finally asked, his little heart wanting to much to impress her although he didn't know why. He couldn't understand his own actions though since a minute ago, Laura Roslin was the most infuriating girl he had ever known.

She turned to him, illuminated by the light from the box. "Yes. I like it very much," she said and returned to poking around the place. He felt pride tugging at the corners of his heart and beamed. _Little Miss Perfect _liked his place!

To be continued…

**A/N-That's it for this chapter! Reviews are gold dust! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

The Girl Next Door

By caramelapples

Chapter 3

The downpour was most upsetting for someone like Bill Adama who loved to go outside and play. From his bedroom, he could see the wide field at the back of his house and the faint outline of his neighbour's home. _Little Miss Perfect's home_, he thought. He would never forget the way he felt when she told him that she liked his den. His heart had been bursting with pride.

But still, he had his doubts. She did seem odd and she didn't have many friends now from what he could gather. She had most probably left all her old friends back from where she came from, wherever it was. It was good in a way, his mind rationalized. She would be _his _friend and he could show off his findings to her more than ever. She had come over very frequently in the past few weeks and he found himself liking her company although she seemed to be the only one who dared to question his decisions. His other friends were always following him. He was the leader of the pack. But _Little Miss Perfect _told him what to do.

He sniffed the air to smell the greenish tinge of rain as he watched the raindrops splatter across the window panes. His paper plane had lost its appeal and he wished that he could go outside. He went downstairs to the kitchen where his mother was busy.

"Hello sweetheart. Did you need something?" his mother asked, turning to him.

"No…" he said and opened the back door. "I'm bored and I hate the rain."

"Where are you going, honey?"

"No where… I'm just going to sit down at the porch," he said, looking ahead to see the field blurred by the rain blocking his view.

"Don't go out in the rain, okay?"

"Okay."

He took went towards the stairs and sat on the topmost step, avoiding the rain. He reached out to find that if stretched far enough, he could feel the rain falling onto his hand. He saw a faint shape emerging in the heavy rain and squinted to see that it was a woman holding an umbrella. He ran back inside to tell his mother.

"Ma, there's someone coming," he said excitedly.

"Oh?" his mother looked out the window, not removing her hands from the dough she was kneading. "Oh!" she said when sudden recognition hit her. "It's Laura. Her mother is bringing her over. I forgot about it."

Bill ran back outside to greet the woman and _Little Miss Perfect._

"Hello, Bill," Laura's mother said kindly and looked up to see Evelyn at the door. "Evelyn, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you don't mind watching Laura."

"Of course not," his mother beamed.

Bill motioned for Laura to follow him upstairs and they ran inside together, leaving the to women to continue talking. They ran up the stairs and into his room, shutting the door. She plopped down onto his bed and let out a breath that blew her soft bangs from her eyes.

"What do you want to do?" he asked her, breathing heavily.

"We can't go outside," she said. "It's raining…" she piped. "There's nothing much to do. You got paper?"

"Paper?"

"Yeah. Maybe we can draw pictures or something."

He strode over to a shelf and dragged a big drawing pad out. "Yeah, I got paper," he said turning to her.

Two hours later, with crayons and colour pencils strewn all over the floor, Bill rolled over from his stomach to his back and laid down, staring at ceiling, at the painted clouds his Pa had done for him. Laura was sitting up, leaning against the foot of his bed, and folding scraps of paper.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Bill asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"I'm going to teach," she said confidently. "What do _you_ want to be when you grow up?"

"That's a girl job. I'm going to be a viper pilot," he told her, pretending that he could go up to the painted clouds and play.

"Hmm," she replied. Bill continued to stare at the ceiling until his view was obstructed by a pink thing that was to close to his eyes to distinguish. He sat up abruptly. Laura sat down beside him and reached out to give him a piece of paper folded to shape like a flower. "Here," she said, twirling the stem of the paper flower in between her fingers.

"What is it?" he felt compelled to ask.

"It's a paper rose. I made it," she said, waiting for him to take it.

"Oh." He took the paper rose and examined it. She had coloured the paper pink with a colour pencil and folded the paper into a shape of a rose with a short stem. "It's pretty," he said, smiling at her.

"My grandmother thought me how to make it," she told him and stood up, striding towards the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Outside. It's not raining anymore," she said and disappeared out the door. He heard her running down the stairs and he ran to the window, looking out to see Laura running out into the fields. His mouth dropped open in awe as she started twirling in the middle of the field, her dress spreading around her like a cloud. He quickly kept the paper rose in a box where he kept the many trinkets he had acquired throughout his young life along with the locket he had quite forgotten about and ran down to the field.

"Look at me!" she squealed when she saw him running towards her. Look at me , Bill! Look!"

He laughed and held both her hands I his and pulled her so that they were spinning in circles together. Finally, exhausted and extremely dizzy, they both sat down on the grass, giggling. Laura looked at him as though she was studying him and laid down suddenly.

He looked around him and saw a small white flower with five pure petals. He threw a glance at the girl lying on the grass beside him. Then he made up his mind. He plucked the flower and held it over her face just like she had.

To be continued…

**A/N-Reviews are gold sparkly dust:o)**


	4. Chapter 4

The Girl Next Door

By caramelapples

Chapter 4

"Will!"

He stiffened and immediately dropped his little carving knife that his Pa had given him after making him promise to be really, _really _careful with it. He scrambled out from under the thick hedges and started to run towards the house. He burst open through the door and into the kitchen where his mother was busy preparing dinner.

"You have been outside for the whole day! Now, go and wash up and get ready for dinner! Judith would be over soon and I'm sure you wouldn't want them to see you all dirty, would you, Will?"

He looked down at his shoes and quickly kicked off the muddy offending object.

"She'll be bringing Laura," Evelyn commented and smiled inwardly. She knew that her son liked this girl more than any other femalefriends that he had - not that he had _many_. But this Laura, she was different and she could see it as well as her son obviously saw it. "Would you want her to see you all messy and scruffy?" she asked, hand on her hips.

"No, Ma," he said and quickly hurried upstairs to clean up. He hadn't finished the surprise yet but he decided to continue it later. Laura - he didn't really know when _Little Miss Perfect _started to have a name but he know realized that she did - was coming over and he didn't want her to see him dirty. Well, at least not as dirty as he was right now, he figured.

After he took a quick shower and changed into a brand new set of clothes, he hurried downstairs and was relieved to find that Laura and her mother hadn't arrived yet.

"Is Pa coming home soon from his trip?" he asked his mother. He was sitting on the stool at the countertop and was watching his mother arrange slices of roast on a serving plate. "No, not this week, Will. The trial ran longer that it was supposed to," Evelyn replied, looking at her son and felt sad when she watched a wave of disappointment come over his young features. "But he'll try to make it as soon as he can."

"When Pa comes home, will you go back to work?" the young boy asked, apprehensive.

Evelyn pondered his question for a while and then wistfully smiled. "No. When we moved here, I left my job and I wanted to spend more time with you, honey," she said sweetly and ruffled his hair. He beamed and continued to watch his mother work with dinner. "When your Pa comes home, we'll go on a picnic where you can fly the new kite with your Pa."

He nodded eagerly. When the doorbell rang, he jumped out of his seat and raced towards the front door where he immediately unlocked it and yanked it open, his little heart pounding with excitement, where he came face to face with Laura and her mother. He immediately moved aside to let them in as his mother came into the living room to greet their guests. They exchanged pleasantries and then instantly slipped into a much closer bond. Judith had found a friend in Evelyn and she was glad that the move from Caprica City was not something she regretted.

Laura smiled shyly at him, as both mothers left for the dining room.

"Where's your Pa?"

"He's got some teacher's conference and he won't be able to make it home until next week," Laura responded automatically. "I'm alone. Both my sisters are on a field trip."

"My Pa's gone too," he said, and sighed dramatically. "I'm alone like you. But we can keep each other company," he suggested and she seemed to perk up at the idea. As they heard both mothers calling, they went into the dining room solemnly and sat on their seats opposite each other, waiting for dinner to be served. Laura decided the she really did like William Adama, despite him being so stubborn sometimes. She glanced across the wide table and sneaked a glance at him. He seemed to like her as well, and because of that thought, Laura felt a small tug at the pit of her tummy. It was unfamiliar and it scared her momentarily. But she liked it as after the initial feeling, a warm rush would overwhelm her senses and she would feel as though she was being enveloped by a thick and warm blanket.

She quickly looked away as he caught her gaze, blushing deeply. The rest of dinner, the two young children were quiet and proper as they ate dinner, leaving the conversation to their mothers. They would have time later, after dinner, to play. It was still quite bright even for dinner time today and Laura smiled, stealing another glance at him.

* * *

Laura's most favourite place when she visited Bill - or Will, according to what his other friends and mother called him but personally, she thought 'Bill' was a very handsome sounding name - was the his secret hideout. She loved that it was somewhere hidden, where she could play with him without his other friends around and dragging his attention away from her. She didn't know if any of his other friends knew about the den but she was glad that every time she came over and if the weather permitted, he would take her there and they would spend their entire time there. 

She had been looking forward to this dinner so that she could see him and talk to him. When her mother and his would start cleaning the dishes, it was then that he would ask her to go upstairs and they would play together until her mother would come up and tell them that it was time for her to go home. Perhaps now that her father wasn't home and neither was his, they might stay the night.

She noticed with nervous anticipation that everyone had almost finished their meal. She tried to follow the pace at which Bill ate his ice-cream as she loved her desert and didn't want him to drag her away before she could finish it. The minute Bill finished his desert of chocolate ice-cream, he immediately asked his mother if he could play with Laura.

When his mother nodded, Bill beamed and started up the stairs. "Come on!" he called to her and she took the last bit of her ice-cream in one big mouthful despite how cold it was in her mouth and joined him.

* * *

It was only after about half an hour of playing hide-and-seek when Laura made herself comfortable in his bed, not knowing what else to do. If his little heart was disappointed, he didn't show it. He leaped onto the bed, bouncing and proceeded to join her. 

"Let's go to the secret place!" Laura suggested, excitement lacing her voice. She waited for a reply as he fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well?" She looked sideways and then resumed her study of the painted clouds.

"It's really dark. We can't go out in the dark," Bill told her, staring at the painted clouds as well. He wanted to bring her there but he hadn't finished the surprise. The fact that it was dark didn't really play an important role. He had been out in the dark _numerous _times before - no doubt sneaking out to his den without his mother's knowledge - and it didn't scare him one bit. And besides, it wasn't really _dark_ yet. He hoped that Laura would just agree on staying in.

"Why not?" she asked, annoyed and disappointed at the same time. She wanted so much to go to the secret place. She had been looking forward to it all week. She looked out the window and pouted. "It's not dark yet! The sun's only about to set! It's not dark yet!"

"I said it was dark," he told her, sitting up and looking intently at her. "It's not safe."

She was silent for a moment and then finally, she let out a sigh. "Okay, then," she said, disappointment drowning every inch of her little voice.

Bill felt his own heart constrict tightly when he saw how disappointed she was. He didn't understand why but he suddenly felt as though making Laura happy was the most essential thing right now. But he couldn't take her there.

His surprise was unfinished!

"Wait here," he told her and got off the bed. She sat up as well.

"Where are you going?"

He walked towards the door. "I will be back."

"I want to go with you," she said, authority was beginning to creep into her voice.

"No, you can't."

Laura got up and went towards him indignantly. "Yes, I can."

Bill was frustrated. He couldn't let her come or the surprise would be ruined! 'No!" he said, more forcefully. He couldn't let her see it. Not yet.

Laura showed no signs of hearing his protest and was approaching him when he desperately pushed her shoulders back. It was not quite a harsh shove but Laura took a step back anyway. She stared at him and blinked. He didn't seem to regret what he did.

Fine!

Before he knew it, he found himself involuntarily stumbling backwards. Laura had pushed him and was know standing in front of him with both fists resting on her hips, her green eyes sparkling with a anger and frustration. She was not one to receive without giving.

"Do. Not. Push. Me. Idiot," she told him through clenched teeth.

He looked at her and felt his temper flaring. No girl had ever pushed William Adama before. No one had ever pushed William Adama before. Not even his friends. And how dare she? The fact that he pushed her first was lost on him. In his little heart, his actions were justifiable because he had to do it. He had to prevent her from seeing his surprise before it was done. "I told you that you couldn't come with me!"

"Why not?!" He had never before prevented her from going anyway with him before. The notion caused a weak ache in her heart and she couldn't understand why she was feeling hurt. She didn't like the feeling.

"Because it's dark and late," he lied.

"So what?!" Laura felt tears prickle and she brushed it away with the back of her hand. "If you can go, why can't I?" she asked again, a little softer now. Laura didn't like to cry. She never cried in front of her sisters or her parents. Except when she was really scared or sad. She didn't like being called a cry baby. She didn't want to cry in front of Bill. He might call her a cry baby.

He stamped his foot indignantly. "You stay here. I will be back," he said, willing her to agree.

She looked out the window again. It really wasn't dark yet. She didn't understand why he would say it was.

Unless he didn't want her around.

"Fine!" she huffed and went to sit on the bed, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. Bill immediately left and closed the door behind him. She went to the window and watched for him to appear. She started to cry when she saw his form run across the field, looking over his shoulder and shouting to his mother at the door that he would "be really quick" and that he would "come back in before the sun went down."

Feeling as though she was losing something, she settled on his bed and watched the calming clouds on his bedroom ceiling before falling into a slumber on his bed.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

The Girl Next Door

By caramelapples

Chapter 5

William Adama burst open the door and panted as he tried to collect his breathing. "Ma! I'm back!" he yelled, making sure that she new he was already inside.

"Make sure that you leave your shoes at the door before going upstairs!"

"I will, Ma!" he replied, kicking of his shoes. He wondered if he should ask if Laura was still here but his question was answered when he heard his mother chatting animatedly with Laura's mother in the living room.

"Laura!" he exclaimed as he pushed open the door but instead, was faced with silence. He timidly went to his bed where Laura was sleeping on. A girl was sleeping on his bed, under his blanket! On his sheets! His _boy _sheets! If his friends were to find out that a girl had slept on his bed, he was sure that they would taunt him untill every single shred of his dignity was ripped further into thinner shreds. He shuddered at the thought.

"Laura," he called softly, still undecided if he should wake her up. She was lying on her side, her hands resting under her face and Bill - he liked the way Laura called him "Bill" - thought that she was the _absolutest_, most prettiest girl he had ever met before. The thought alone made him feel warm and tingly. And the thought alone also caused him to crease his brows in _worry_. Before Laura Roslin moved next door, he thought girls were the dumbest things that was ever created. Boys went on adventures and were brave.

But now…

He bent down and peered at her to get a clearer view in the dim light of the room when she didn't stir and realized that her eyes were red. She had been crying! He had made her cry! Bill felt something settle at the pit of his stomach that most adults would recognize as guilt. He didn't like the feeling one bit despite not knowing what it was. Perhaps she was angry at him. In that case, he hoped that her anger would disappear once she saw what he did. Anyway, after completing his surprise, he was exhausted and he wanted to sleep. The wood was hard and try and his carving knife wasn't a very big one. The bed was big enough for two small children like them and Bill settled down comfortably on the other side before drifting off to sleep as well.

* * *

The door inched open and Laura's mother poked her head into the room. What she saw melted her heart and she smiled widely at Evelyn who was standing on tiptoes right behind her to get a view of the room. They had been talking, more than ever and time had flown by quite quickly. It was already 10 o' clock at night when either of the woman decided to take a quick glance at the placid clock hanging on the wall. Evelyn had mentioned that the children had quietened down and that they were most probably already tired and playing with crayons. Little did they know that both children were as quite as tired as _that _for both were sleeping peacefully side by side.

Judith pushed open the door and went inside to check on Laura. When she was satisfied with her daughter's sleeping arrangements, she placed a kiss on Laura's forehead and watched as Evelyn tucked the blanket around both children.

"I don't suppose I would be able to go home with Laura asleep," Judith mentioned, still smiling.

"No," the other woman agreed, shaking her head at the children and then turning to smile at her friend. "Perhaps, uh, since the children are asleep and our husbands are away, we can have a girls' night."

"Oh gods, it's been so long since I've had free time…" Judith groaned as she threw a glance at Laura. "I do love my kids but sometimes, I wonder what I did in my past life to be rewarded with such _bright _children."

"Tell me about it. Will thinks he's invincible…" Evelyn started as both women left the room.

* * *

The first thing Laura noticed when she opened her eyes was that she wasn't in her own bed in her own bedroom. And the annoying tugging on her sleeve just wouldn't stop and she moved to swat it away. Her eyes flew open when she realized that it was Bill who was tugging at her sleeve.

She sat up almost immediately. There he was, kneeling in front of her and staring at her with those blue eyes of his. She could tell that he had been awake for sometime already. And then she realized. She was in his room. Did she sleep here all night? Did her mother leave her here?

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Bill urged, an urgency tinting his voice.

"What is it? Where's my mother?" she asked, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "She didn't leave me here, did she?" Laura asked, suddenly fearful.

"No, they are downstairs. Come on, get up!"

"All right!" she snapped, swinging her legs of the bed and standing up. She went into the bathroom and shut the door. Bill wondered what she was doing inside but then refrained from asking any questions when she emerged later. She had washed her face, Bill was certain, as she looked fresher. He peered into the bathroom as she walked past him and left the room and noticed that _his _towel had been moved. Bill knew that his mother liked to arrange the towels neatly and evenly and he was always sure to leave them the same way but then now, it had been hung carelessly.

Laura had used his towel to wipe her face!

And the worse part was, he didn't even feel disgusted! He might even like the thought that she liked him enough to use his things. Confusion ebbed away at him as they went downstairs. _Why did he even care about what she thought? _She didn't seem angry at him like he thought she would and he was grateful for that.

As it turned out, both their mothers were sleeping peacefully in the living room. His mother leaning on his grandmother's gift, the rocking chair and Laura's mother on the couch, feet tucked up comfortably as her head laid on one end of the long couch.

"Should we wake them?" Bill asked, whispering.

"No, I don't think so. They seem tired." Laura looked around her. "I'm hungry…"

"We'll eat something. There's cereal and milk," Bill said, regretting the fact that Laura was not able to try his mother's lovely pancakes.

"Okay," she agreed and they both went into the kitchen blithely to have breakfast together without the supervision of adults.

After they had eaten their cereal with milk Bill had taken from the fridge, they were astonished to find that both their mothers weren't awake yet, wondering what was possibly so bad in the beautiful glass bottle on the coffee table in the living room. It did smell funny but sweet at the same time when his Pa let him smell and taste a little quite some time ago.

"Now that it's not dark, can we go to the secret place?" Laura's voice found its way into his mind. He looked up at her as he stood on the stool to place their empty bowls into the sink. She looked at him, unwavering and determined at the same time.

Bill carefully placed the bowls into the sink and got down from the stool. Now that his surprise was finished, he would most definitely take her there. He beamed and took her hand, dragging her excitedly towards the door. Laura felt all the sadness that ploughed her little heart the night before disappear as she realized that he _did_ indeed want to be near her after all. Perhaps he really thought that it was too dark to take her there. It was that little fact that made her smile the whole time he was roughly dragging her to the secret place.

They crouched down like they always did when they reached the opening to the den and crawled through the little opening.

Bill went in before her and was waiting for Laura's head to appear at his end of the opening in the hedges. When she did, and when she saw what he had done, her expression was worth every single thing that he had to do to just make that wondrous and delighted look appear on Laura's face. And he would do it over and over again just to see that look on her face.

Laura's face that was already captured in his thoughts. And thus, his heart.

To be continued…

**A/N - Reviews would be lovely. Thanks for reading!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Girl Next Door**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 6**_

The hedges had grown thicker since the last time Laura had been to the secret place. The view of Bill's behind disappeared when he made it completely through the opening and into the den. She sped up her pace, wanting to join him as soon as possible. She scrambled through and finally felt the cool air on her skin. She stood up and came face to face with Bill, standing expectantly in front of her with a hint of nervousness on his face.

Then it caught her attention. A plank of wood, nailed onto the wooden wall of the den. Laura's mouth opened in awe as she saw the carvings on them. She went closer to read the carved words, and then felt happiness bursting out of her heart.

"Bill and Laura's Secret Hideout?"

"Uh huh," Bill nodded, still unsure of what her reaction would be, apart from wonder and surprise.

"But that would mean it's ours! It's your place. Is it mine too?" she asked, her eyes wide open and Bill couldn't help but notice that they were very, very pretty.

"Of course!" he beamed, proudly.

"But it says Bill… I thought all your friends call you 'Will'. Don't they?"

"They don't know about this place! I never showed them!" he whispered as though his friends were right there and were able to hear everything he said. "I only showed you!" he whispered again, proud of the fact that she was his friend and not some other boy's friend. Bill was also proud of the fact that no other boy had the chance to show her his secret place, that was if he had one. And Bill was sure that he was the _only_one who had one in the whole town.

"So it's ours! Only yours and mine!" she whispered back, also feeling to need to act secretive.

"Uh huh. It's ours. But you must promise that you will not tell anyone about _our_place! Promise?" he whispered urgently.

Laura looked around the place which was now also hers and nodded. "I promise. I won't tell _anyone!"_

"Good! Let me show you the other things!"

"What other things?"

"Come on!" Bill took her hand and tugged her along as he walked ahead. "Look!" he exclaimed, pointing at the small table his Pa had built for him. Laura looked towards the direction that he was pointing at and looked back at him puzzled. There was nothing specifically different that she could see. "It has two chairs now!"

Laura's head snapped back towards the table. Arranged carefully on opposite sides of the table were two wooden chairs. "There was only one chair before!" she squealed, now remembering.

"Yup! I brought another one so now you have your own chair. And there," he said pointing towards a small bookcase that wasn't there before. "It's for you."

"For me?" Laura's voice held surprise and happiness, so much so that Bill's heart jumped at the pride that surged through him.

"Uh huh. My Pa had it in the gardening shack but he wasn't using it anymore," he explained. He went towards the bookcase that was sitting on the dirt floor. "It's for books, you see," he told her pointing at the shelves. "But it's for you to put anything you want in it. It isn't very pretty now but then we can paint it later on. You can even paint it pink!"

"I thought boys didn't like pink," Laura said, a little mockery in her voice.

"I don't. But it's yours," he told her, smiling.

Laura grinned at him. "I don't really like pink."

"Oh." Bill was thrown off his feet for just a little while but caught himself. _She didn't like pink! _He was relieved beyond relieved and sighed. Laura was an angel! A very pretty angel! _Because she didn't like pink! _"Well then, you can paint it whatever colour you want," he said confidently.

"I don't think I want to paint it," Laura said thoughtfully. "I like it just the way it is."

"Okay then. Don't paint it." He smiled at her and then tugged at her hand again. "See?" Bill said, pointing at a picture taped on the wooden wall. "I drew that myself," he stated proudly and put his hand that wasn't holding hers on his hip. "It's you!"

It was messy but Laura thought it was the most beautiful picture she had ever seen because he drew it himself and also because it was a drawing of her. Granted, her hair wasn't bright brick-red and her head was most definitely proportionate to her body but he could be excused. He was, after all,_just a boy. A boy who was also very nice to play with. And who did very nice things for her. And a boy who was also very…_

_Handsome? …_

Laura shuddered. Boys weren't handsome for all Laura new. In fact, they were all rather stupid bullies. Selfish too. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and allowed Bill to drag her all over the place, showing her what he had done to the place to make it as much hers as it was his. _Their_place. It was their place now.

* * *

The next time Laura went over to his place, his four best friends were over. His horrible, obnoxious and dumb friends. For one, with them around, Bill didn't talk to her as much as he did when they were alone together. Secondly, they couldn't go to _their _secret hideout because his friends didn't know about it. And lastly, his friends didn't like her.

They didn't think that "Will" - he was still "Bill" to her - should spend so much of his time with a girl. Laura also didn't understand why he didn't tell his friends that he liked to spend time with her and that she was just as good as them in the games that they played. If her friends - not that she had made many yet - had told her that she shouldn't be playing with Bill, she would've told them right away that she could play with whomever she wanted to play with.

Laura didn't like Saul, Bill's best friend. Saul seemed to have a lot of influence amongst the group, only second to Bill. He belittled her and seemed to be the one who disliked her most. She tagged along, simply because Saul had made a remark about how she wouldn't be able to do things that they normally did like climb the nearby oak tree and play games where they raced each other. Laura grinned smugly at Saul when she was the first one to reach the top of the oak tree and laughed mockingly at the look on his face. Marcus was the nicest to her amongst the group of unruly boys. He seemed to genuinely like her and asked her a few questions. He was also the nerdiest of the group, always slower than the rest and wearing glasses because he read a lot. Laura liked him, a little bit out of pity. But at least she had someone to talk to when Bill was so busy with his friends. She frowned at the thought. Laura didn't like to be invisible just because Bill had other companions around.

_Why did he let his friends be so mean to her?_

So when they were going to race from the oak tree back to the house, Laura decided to join in, despite the looks that Saul and Bill's two other friends threw at her.

"The race is only for boys!" Saul shouted, annoyed when Laura stepped in line with the rest and tightened her shoelaces. "Girls can't run." Laura ignored him and focused ahead, getting ready to run when Bill gave the green light. "You'll lose!"

Laura narrowed her eyes as she mentally cleared a path in front of her. She was going to beat Saul, the idiot who thought she was less than them. She would show them.

"Ready…" Bill's voice rang in her ears. "Get set! Go!"

Laura took off, leaving everyone behind except for Bill running along beside her. Her legs carried her as fast as they could, and Laura grinned, knowing that she was heading the race and leaving the rest including Bill, behind her. She finally reached the house and panted, catching her breath, Bill reaching just a few seconds later. When everyone had reached the finish line, Marcus trailing behind, Laura took the opportunity to gloat and taunt them.

"Who said girls couldn't run?!" she asked out loud, her gaze pointed towards Saul. He shrugged and glared at her. Laura could only guess that he liked her even less now. She continued. "Who said that I would lose?! I beat you all!" she announced, beaming.

"It's almost tea time," Marcus finally piped up. "We all better head home."

Saul went up to Bill. "You _always_ win, Bill. _Why_ did you let a girl win?"

"I-" Bill started but couldn't find the words. Laura had beaten him before but he had never told his friends. Before he could answer, Saul had already joined the group.

They moved towards the door and went inside, Bill and Laura following behind.

When all of them had left and went home, Laura looked to Bill, expecting him to be smiling proudly at her but he wasn't smiling. Instead, he looked like - almost - the way his friends looked like. _Almost. _Bill looked surprised, frustrated and he was frowning a little. That was it! He wasn't happy that she had proven to his friends that she was just as good, if not better than the rest of them.

"You want to play something before I have to go home?" Laura asked, almost timidly.

"No."

"Can we go to _our_place?"

"No."

"I beat them," Laura tried, her heart clenching and she swallowed a lump forming in her throat.

"Running's not for girls," Bill finally muttered, looking away.

"What?! I always run! _We_ always run!" Laura was shocked and she was already starting to sniffle.

"Not when everyone is here. _I_always win them. I'm the leader. "

"But they were mean to me!" she cried, brushing at a tear angrily. "Did you hear what Saul told me? He said that I'll lose! So I showed them that I won't lose! See? I won!" she told him, desperate for him to be happy for her.

Bill huffed and looked away. Why couldn't she understand? She had beaten him and thus, humiliating him in front of them. He had always been first. It didn't matter really, when his friends weren't around and she beat him. But somehow, he just couldn't let them see that a girl was better than him at anything. What would they think of their leader now? Saul _must_think that he was a loser. So must _all_ the rest.

"I don't care!" he huffed again, crossing his arms. Laura felt an ache start to form in her chest and she fought to understand it.

Laura stared at him, her lower lip quivering, before moving to the edge of the couch and sitting there quietly crying. She had never been happier in all her life when her mother came to pick her up.

"I hate you, William Adama!" she cried harshly to Bill, startling him, and then, ran towards the door, wanting her mother badly to cheer her up.

Laura didn't hate him really. But it was what she wanted to say so that he could feel as bad as she was feeling at the moment. In fact, Laura liked Bill more than any other boy. It scared her and now, it was hurting her more than any other thing she could think of.

_To be continued…_

End Notes:

I'm sorry for the angst at the end! I know it's supposed to be a fluffy, cute and sweet story but the twisted side of me couldn't help it! Please review and tell me what you think! It's been a while since I've written anything! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**The Girl Next Door**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 7**_

The door opened and Judith smiled, expecting to see the excitement that Laura radiated every time she came to pick her up. Instead, she found herself on her knees in an instant as her daughter came flying out of the door and latched onto her legs.

"What happened, sweetie?" she asked, immediately concerned. Laura buried her face in her mother's shoulder and threw her arms around Judith's neck. Did you fall down and cut yourself?" Judith tried again, stroking the little girl's soft hair. Laura shook her head and tightened her grip. Rubbing comforting circles in Laura's back, Judith stood, lifting the child into her arms and kissing Laura's forehead.

"Judith?" Evelyn's voice floated across the hall to the front porch and its owner eventually followed.

"Thank you for letting Laura come over just now," Judith started, still bouncing Laura gently on her hip.

"My pleasure! I was getting started on dinner. Would you like to join us? It gets so quiet without Will's father around," Evelyn invited, smiling warmly. She wiped her wet hands on the apron she was wearing.

"No, I'm afraid I can't…" Judith said, apologetically, throwing a glance at her own home next door. "I left the girls at home alone just to pick Laura up. Perhaps another day then?"

"Of course." Evelyn smiled and then, frowned when Judith's gaze seemed to be distracted. She looked around, following the other woman's gaze and found herself looking at the feet of her son disappearing up the stairs. "Will?" she called, cocking her head and leaning forward to look up the stairs.

When she received no reply, she returned her gaze to Judith, and apologized embarrassedly. "I'm sorry… He's a little off tonight," she said, laughing a little.

Judith smiled understandingly and nodded. "I think the children had a fight. Did you have a fight with Will, honey?"

"It's _Bill._And I want to go home," Laura whimpered, sniffing.

"Okay, sweetie. We'll go home now."

Evelyn nodded and placed a hand on the crying girl's back. "Goodbye, Laura," she said sweetly.

Laura turned and mumbled her goodbye only to bury her face on her mother's shoulder again. She had never felt so alone in her entire life.

* * *

The door creaked open, the tiny figure poked her head into the room. Satisfied with the surroundings, she padded across the carpet, one hand holding a doll and climbed on top the bed. She crawled towards the sleeping figure and pulled the blanket away just enough to bury herself underneath the warm sheets and snuggle towards the source of warmth.

"Laura? Honey?" Judith turned towards her child, blinking and then finally sat up disoriented. "What's the time? Why are you still up?"

"I can't sleep, Mommy," Laura told her mother, in a small voice. She clutched tightly at her doll.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Judith prodded gently.

In the darkness of the room with the only source of light coming from the moon through the open window, Judith could see her daughter shaking her head. "It's very late Laura…"

"I don't think Bill likes me anymore." It was soft and barely a whisper, as though she was admitting her biggest fear. Laura brushed the fresh tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Oh honey… Come on here…"

Laura welcomed the embrace of her mother and the gentle pressure against her body where her mother held her. She had somebody now.

"Why do you say that?"

Laura sniffed. "Because his friends came over. And he didn't like to talk to me anymore." Her breath hitched when she felt a lump form in her throat. "They were mean to me and he let them say mean things to me…" Laura let out a small hiccup.

"Laura honey, you have to understand that when his friends comes over, Will-"

"It's _Bill_."

"Okay… When Bill's friends comes over, he has to pay attention to them too. If he only talks to you, how would his other friends feel?"

"But they were _mean_ to me!"

"How so?"

"Saul, his dumb friend, said that I can't climb a tree and I _did_, mommy! I climbed to the top first. And then Saul said that I can't run. That running is meant for boys only. But I did run _and_ I won them all! See? I showed them I could run!" Laura exclaimed, gesturing indignantly.

"And?"

"And Bill didn't want to talk to me after that. Because I won them all…" Laura sniffled.

Judith giggled. Children were so entirely adorable and so naïve. And boys will forever have that ego. Even her husband couldn't stand being beaten by her in any sport, even a jog through the park. She kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"I'm sure Bill still likes you, honey. Boys are like that. Even daddy is like that, sometimes."

Laura hiccupped. "Really?"

"Of course! They just don't like admitting that girls are better than them." Judith tapped her daughter's nose with her finger. "Do you like Bill that much?"

Laura fell silent. Judith kissed the top of her hair, breathing in the scent of baby shampoo.

"Of course not!" Laura scoffed, indignant.

"Really? Not even a little bit?" Judith teased, grinning.

Laura narrowed her eyes and sniffed. "He's only a boy," was her answer. _Who shared his own secret place with her. And who she thought was the handsomest boy in the world now. _

_Who didn't like to talk to her anymore._

Laura pushed the unpleasant feeling to the back of her mind. "I'm tired, mommy."

"Let's sleep then. You want to sleep here?"

Laura nodded and then snuggled up against her mother, enjoying the warmth and softness.

* * *

The next day, Bill woke up early, as he usually did, being as active as he was. He trotted downstairs after brushing his teeth and washing up. Evelyn greeted him good morning and kissed him on his forehead before serving breakfast. And then, he proceeded to wait for Laura.

Laura came over almost every single day. He wanted her to come over because he wanted to see if she was still mad at him. If she was, he hoped that after they played together, she would not be mad anymore. If she wasn't mad at him, all the better. If she was mad, he would let her do anything she wanted with Harris, their dog. It was his in the beginning but then, he had decided that Harris was _theirs_, just like _their_ secret place.

He just had to tell her when she comes over later that the dog was theirs.

_When she comes over…_

Bill had been waiting until lunch and then went and had his meal before proceeding to wait again. He sat on the doorstep on the front porch watching her house to see if she came out. Harris lazed by his side, the heat of noon unpleasant for the canine as his fur was thick and rich.

There was not a sign of Laura the whole afternoon he waited. Hours passed by and yet, he rested his chin on his hands which in turn was supported by his knees. He squinted to get a clearer view, as the compound between both houses were wide and spacious.

"_I hate you William Adama!" _

The sound of her voice rang in his ears, the memory of what she had shouted at him the day before echoing in his thoughts.

Perhaps she really did hate him now. The notion of that caused a stab of pain in his little heart and he blinked.

The sun finally set and Bill went inside, defeated. Laura wasn't coming over today.

* * *

Laura marched over to Bill's house, determined to let him know that he should be glad that she had beaten his stupid friends in the race and as a friend, he should protect her from his friends. She wore a determined scowl on her face and walked right to the secret hideout where she knew he would be. He was always there, unless it was raining or exceptionally hot.

She crawled through the opening and picked herself of the ground only to find herself staring at Bill in the middle of removing the plank of wood that announced to the world - even if the world was limited to only the both of them - that this place belonged to the both of them.

_He was taking it down. _

Laura's heart crimped at the sight and she let out a gasp. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly, in a voice that was so unlike her usual one, heavy with dread and disappointment.

He spun around so quickly that he was momentarily dizzy and dropped the hammer he was holding.

Laura winced. "Why are you taking it down?" she asked again, taking a step closer.

"Because you're not coming over anymore." His voice was equally as quiet.

"I am here now!"

"You didn't come for days."

"You didn't like to talk to me anymore!"

"I didn't say that!" Bill cried, surprised.

"But you didn't talk to me when your friends were around! You let them say mean stuff to me! And I don't like it when you don't stay with me and act like I'm not there." Laura crossed her arms and stared at him, her green eyes piercing into his very depths. The silence dragged on.

"Are you angry with me?" Bill finally asked.

She nodded.

"Harris can be our dog…" he tried, smiling hopefully.

Laura's eyes lit up. "Really?" her voice held none of its previous bitterness.

"Uh huh! Just like this place." His heart raced. _Laura was beginning to smile!_

"But I thought…" her gaze was drawn towards the plank of wood on the wall, two of its nails already removed.

"No need to worry. It'll be all right," he assured her.

And then, suddenly, Bill felt happiness bursting though his heart when a full smile lit up Laura's face. "Come on," Bill encouraged, himself already on the ground and making his way through the opening. "Let's go play with Harris! We should tell him that he has another owner now. The both of us!"

Laura immediately followed, the smile never leaving her face. And her anger towards the boy that already captured her thoughts disappeared like it was never even there before.

_To be continued…_

End Notes:

There you have it! I really hope this chapter was all right! Do let me know what you think! Please review! It's really encouraging to know that people actually like this. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**The Girl Next Door**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 8**_

"Run faster Laura! Run faster!" Bill yelled over his shoulder as the slight raindrops began to make known their presence. The wind blew as though it was trying with all its might to prevent them from going back inside. "There's going to be a storm!" He looked back to see the dried leaves swept off the ground, following the strong currents of the wind. "Hurry Laura!" Bill looked ahead of him to see the small form of Harris barking from the steps.

"I'm hurrying!" she called back, blinking furiously. Something had caught in her eye and she stopped a moment to rub the irritant off. Laura looked upwards; the skies were of a solid grey hue. It was barely noon but the darkness was overwhelming. A large raindrop plopped onto her forehead and she looked back down, eyes searching for Bill. He was running back towards her.

"I told you to hurry!" he told her urgently. "We're going to be caught in the rain if you don't!"

"I was but then-" Laura began to explain but was cut of by him tugging on her hand.

"Come on!" he cried and started to run as the rain fell in larger and heavier drops. He pulled Laura along, although she was running as fast, if not faster, as him. Bill felt the need to hold her hand despite not knowing why. It was as though he was keeping her safe, without knowing how.

They finally made it to the porch, seeking the shelter it provided. Large spots of water adorned their clothes but they were generally dry. Harris barked and proceeded to lick both children, as though he was happy that they escaped from the pouring rain.

"Let's go inside. It'll get cold soon," Bill said knowingly.

Laura followed wordlessly and welcomed the pleasant scent of baking bread.

"I was afraid I would have had to go out to get you both," Bill's mother commented when she saw both children come inside. "There's going to be a terrible storm. It's already raining so heavily. Come have some milk." She dried her hands on her apron and grabbed the jug of milk on the countertop. "I'm going to call your mother, Laura dear. I doubt she would be able to come and pick you up in the rain."

Laura nodded and took the empty glass that Bill offered her gratefully. She held out the glass as Evelyn poured her some milk. "Do I sleep here tonight?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"I think so," the older woman replied, setting down the jug of milk. Laura looked to Bill who grinned widely at her. Her heart did a somersault and she almost gasped out loud. She grinned back at him, all the while feeling a little annoyed at herself.

_Why did he affect her so strongly?_

* * *

Laura squeezed her eyes shut as a loud crack signified the beginnings of more thunder. Rain lashed upon the windows as though there was no tomorrow. She winced when the loud boom of thunder shook the atmosphere and the sky streaked bright white from the lightning. Laura clutched the edge of the comforter, eyes wide open. She looked to her right to see Bill resting quietly on his side. _Wasn't he afraid of the thunder? Of course not. He's a boy. _

She sniffed. Should she move closer to him? Thunder boomed again, louder and more vicious this time. Laura gasped, sitting up involuntarily. She looked around the room, the light from the window throwing a slightly eerie stance against the furnishings of Bill's bedroom. She shivered. If she was back home, she would go to her mother and crawl into bed with her. But Laura wasn't in her own room, or house. And there was a boy sleeping beside her. Perhaps if Bill realized that she was afraid, he would think less of her.

Another bolt of thunder vibrated through the room and Laura pulled the sheets over her head, succeeding at the same time, in pulling the covers off Bill.

He jolted up, the sudden cold hitting him hard. "Hey!" Laura was nowhere in sight and looking more closely, Bill deduced that Laura made up a hefty part of the lump beside him. "Give me some!" he whispered, pulling at the corners of the sheets. "It's cold!"

"No!" It was a cross between a whimper and a squeal.

"Come on! It's cold!" he repeated, pulling harder.

"No!"

Bill crossed his arms, frowning deeply. Finally, he felt around for the switch and turned on his night light, the warm glow of the light making the room more comforting and pleasant. Laura sensing the light poked her head through the bottom of the sheets, looking up at him.

"Don't be selfish," Bill demanded, lifting the sheets higher so he could have a better view of her head.

"I'm not!" Laura defended, holding onto the sheets. She wasn't selfish, not really. She was just scared. _Should she tell Bill she was scared? _

"_Then_ let me have some! It's _cold!"_

"_Imafraidofthethunder."_

"Huh?"

"_Imafraidofthethunder!" _Laura told him from her position under the covers.

"I can't hear you," he told her, frowning. Laura was acting weird.

Finally after some silence, Laura pulled the covers off her head. "I said I'm afraid of the thunder," she mumbled, not able to look into his eyes.

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat," he huffed, annoyed that his blanket was stolen from him and refused to be returned.

"I'm not!" Laura's eyes flashed dangerously as she glared at him.

"Then don't be a baby! It's just thunder. It can't hurt you," he tried to reason. Negotiation might just work.

"I'm not a baby! I just don't like loud noises like that!"

"It's nothing. It's _just_thunder. You're just a scaredy-cat," Bill taunted, taking hold of his blanket and giving it a hard tug._Finally…_ He sighed in relief and he snuggled under the covers. "Go to sleep," Bill told her offhandedly and switched off his night light. Laura hugged her knees to her chest as she looked around the room wearily.

Moments later, Bill's eyes flew open when he heard the distinct sound of sniffling. Blindly, he reached out and flipped his night light on again. "What now?" he mumbled as he turned himself around, careful not to pull the covers askew. Bill found himself staring at Laura, who was in the same sitting position, hugging her knees to her chest.

And she was crying.

Bill's heart sank. He had made her cry. A small part of him hoped it was the thunder and not him. He hated it when Laura would cry because of him. He sat up slowly, afraid that movement might send her howling.

"Laura?"

"Go away," she sniffled, pretending that he wasn't there.

"I'm sorry," Bill tried, not knowing if he should touch her in any way and if he would lose any part of his body if he should attempt consoling her. "Don't cry…"

Silence.

"Are you afraid of the thunder?" he tried again, more gently this time.

Laura nodded slightly. As if on cue, another loud bolt of thunder boomed, propelling Laura to flinch and throw her arms around Bill. He froze, panic rising like bile in his throat.

_Whatever did one do with a crying and frightened girl? _Especially one who so rarely cried in front of him - not even when she fell and scraped her knee - and was never afraid of anything. She was even braver than him, sometimes, although he would rather die than admit that. Bill had never been put into a situation like this one before. He shot a glance out of the window. The rain showed no signs of stopping. Awkwardly, Bill stayed as still as possible until Laura pulled away from him. She glanced at him sheepishly, obviously embarrassed at having act the way she did.

"Don't worry. It's outside and it can't get us in here," he soothed, feeling quite proud of himself.

Laura nodded, still embarrassed. She watched as Bill made a move to turn off his night light and wasn't particularly pleased to have the dark settled over the room again. "Don't."

Bill looked over his shoulder. "Don't what?"

"Turn off the lights."

"Well, okay then. I'll leave the lights on. Better?"

"Uh huh." Laura beamed at him, thankful that he was being understanding. She hated showing that she was scared and it was already bad enough that she had made a fool out of herself just now.

"Okay," Bill nodded at sighed. Now, he would have to keep her company.

Laura leaned back against the head board and pulled the sheets up to her chin. Bill followed suit and the both settled comfortably in the warm glow of the room. The thunder outside didn't seem so bad now that there was light.

"Gee… It's kinda quiet in here," Bill muttered, looking around awkwardly. "You sure you don't want to sleep yet?"

"No."

Bill sighed. "I'm bored," he said to no one in particular. Then, with a determined look on his face, he pulled the covers away and leaped out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Laura asked, suddenly aware.

"You ever listen to the radio?" Bill asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Laura nodded. "Yeah."

"Usually, when my Pa is around, I hear the radio on downstairs," Bill told her, taking a step closer. "And when I hear my Ma start to laugh, I would creep down the stairs really quietly and watch my Ma and Pa dancing. They would be so happy. The music at this time of the night would be the bestest music that they would play. Because it's during the night that the grown ups have fun!" Bill went to the small wireless radio that he kept near the box where he kept his forgotten trinkets and treasures. He turned on the old radio and turned the knob, tuning it. It crackled to life. "My Pa found this at a yard sale," Bill explained to Laura. She smiled at him.

"It works," Bill told her, still adjusting the knob. There were garbled noises that made up the frequency until the distinct music made by saxophones floated through the room, followed by other musical accompaniments. "There!" Bill exclaimed and set the radio down. "Listen!"

Laura beamed, listening to the jazzy vocals of the tune. "It's lovely," she commented.

Bill grinned at went up to her. "Watch," he told her, placing his hands on his hips. He tapped his foot to the rhythm of the music, and then proceeded to lightly tap dance to the music, his feet as light as could be. Laura watched, entranced by Bill's feet and the most charming smile he flashed at her.

"How do you move your feet so fast?" Her voice held wonderment.

"My Pa thought me how. I just practice." Bill dropped his stance and slowed his movements. "You can dance any way you want to. Just follow the music," he told her, holding out a hand for Laura to take. "May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing in the process.

Laura giggled. It was terribly sweet and handsome of him. But she shook her head shyly. "I don't know how."

"There are no rules to dancing," Bill told her knowingly. "My Pa said so. He told me that when the music plays, you sway your body to the music and let it sway you! That's how I do it." Laura bit her lip, wondering if she should take his hand or not. Her thoughts didn't matter at the end anyway, as Bill grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the bed. Laura giggled as she followed Bill's fluid movements.

"I like this," she mentioned, a bit breathless. Bill grabbed both her small hands in his and pulled her in.

"This is called the swing," he announced proudly.

"The swing?" Laura asked, bewildered. "What kind of name is that?" The only swings she knew were the ones at playgrounds or the way monkeys moved from tree to tree.

Bill shrugged. "Pa said so."

Laura giggled as Bill spun her around.

There was a storm outside but it was the last thing that was on Laura's mind now. The warm feeling which blanketed her heart kept her safe and warm. And it was only Bill Adama who could make her feel the way she did now.

_To be continued…_

End Notes:

There's the end of the chapter. Reviews would really be awesome! I'll love you guys forever if you review! Make Little Bill and Little Laura happy with your reviews. ;o)


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - Hey all, this was written some time ago but I forgot about posting it here. School's here again so I thought I'd post it. And I really shouldn't post in bulk lol. I usually forget about posting here and then realize later on with the result of me posting 3 to 4 chapters at once. I won't do that now. So here's one chapter. Enjoy! I sort of left a cliffhanger at the end because I couldn't resist. And please don't kill me after reading this! ducks and hides All mistakes are mine. And I don't own anything. RDM does.**

**The Girl Next Door**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 9**_

"I like it here," Bill commented thoughtfully, looking up into the sky. The weather was clear today and he was glad because it allowed him to go outside and play with Laura.

Laura pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Me too," she replied, also looking thoughtful. The loud crashing noise of the waterfall higher up proved soothing as Laura threw her head back and watched an eager squirrel scamper off a tree branch. "It's so pretty," she sighed, and drew her attention back to Bill. He stood nearer to the edge of the rock that Laura had made herself comfortable on and watched the flow of the water.

"Pa always brings me here to the creek when he's home," Bill said sadly.

Laura watched his shoulders sag in defeat and her little heart crimped to see him upset. For no particular reason, she wanted to make him laugh and make him happy just like he made her. Bill's father had not come home in weeks and she knew that he was upset about it, even though he never mentioned it to her.

"He'll be home soon," she reassured him, hoping that he would brighten up. He did.

"I think so too," Bill said, sitting down on the rock beside her. He turned his gaze towards her and suddenly, Laura found herself fighting the urge to blush. She wondered if there was anything out of place. Bill's scrutinizing gaze pierced her and Laura hoped that there wasn't anything particularly embarrassing like dirt on her nose or something. Her heart skipped a beat as he came closer, as though he was inspecting her - or more accurately, her eyes.

_He has very blue eyes, _she thought, realizing that she was most probably blushing already.

"I have something for you," Bill said abruptly and busied himself searching in his pockets. Laura kept silent as she watched him digging both hands into both his pockets. Finally, he pulled something from his pocket, something shiny, Laura noticed. "Here," he said, holding his fist out, the shiny thing hidden in his palm.

She opened her hand it sparkled in the sun when he dropped it onto her open hand. It was cold and fluid in its movements. Laura gasped when she realized Bill had given her a silver chain. "For me?" she asked, her little voice held wonder.

"Uh huh."

Laura held the chain up and let in dangle from her fingers. It was most probably the prettiest thing she had ever had. She even liked it better than the gold bracelet her mother always wore. "Where did you get this?" she asked, still fascinated by the sparkling chain, her eyes never leaving her precious gift. Its value only increased tenfold when Laura thought about who it was from - Bill. Her Bill had given her a necklace and a warm feeling spread from her heart to the tips of her fingers. It even had a locket!

"I found it in the bushes," he said absentmindedly, pleased that his gift was appreciated by the way Laura looked. "My Ma said to give it to a girl I -" he paused halfway, recalling what his mother had told him when he first showed her what he had found. _A girl I like, _he thought. Bill looked to Laura to see that she wasn't actually paying attention to him and he felt relief wash over him. She was too engrossed with her gift. Pride burst from his heart and he resisted the urge to put his hand on his hips and puff his chest out. He looked out to the creek, taking in the beautiful green hue.

"Thank you," Bill heard her whisper, although she sounded much closer than where she was sitting. Then, Bill felt something brush his cheek, something warm and soft and the scent that accompanied it sweet and fresh. He gasped in surprise and snapped his head to the side as Laura settled back into her sitting position. Too dazed to speak, he could only stare at Laura as his mouth formed an 'o'. She didn't seem to be affected despite the colour on her cheeks. However, she did seem too engrossed with the silver chain, fingering the locket that came with it almost too frequently.

_Laura Roslin just kissed me! _his mind screamed, excitement radiating from every part of his body. He flushed from head to toe, his ears turning a striking shade of red._Laura Roslin just kissed me! _It seemed as though the pounding of his heart was loud enough to even drown out the noise from the waterfall. Bill wondered if Laura could hear it. He couldn't keep his eyes of the girl sitting beside him and realized that she was blushing a lovely shade of pink.

"Uh… So you like the - uh - the locket?" he asked, feeling his throat tighten as Laura turned to look at him. She did look very pretty when she blushed, he thought.

Laura nodded shyly and smiled slightly. She had startled herself when he impulsively leaned over and kissed Bill on the cheek. Now, she was almost paralysed with embarrassment and couldn't look him in the eye. _What would he think of her now? _

He had been silent then and she found herself starting to worry. Now that he had showed he could still speak, Laura felt relieved. _Still, what had possessed her to kiss Bill Adama? _He was saying something and she wasn't listening. She couldn't pay attention actually. He was a very nice-smelling boy, she thought and blushed some more, feeling slightly silly. But she clutched the locket tightly, telling herself that she would keep it _forever._

"…and you can wear in now if you like," he was saying and gesturing. Laura giggled slightly. "Anyway, they're coming over tomorrow and -"

"Who's coming over tomorrow?" Laura interrupted, confused.

"Saul and the rest," he said, casually.

Laura tried her best to hide her disappointment. "Oh."

She looked away, a heavy ache suddenly developing in the pit of her stomach. Maybe if she told him that she wasn't coming over tomorrow, he would tell her that she needn't worry about his friends and that he would make sure they wouldn't belittle her. Bill watched her curiously. "I don't like it when they come," she admitted to him, softly. "You always leave me alone when they're here."

Bill contemplated her words and suddenly stood up, walking to the edge of the stone. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on his hips. "I will never leave you alone, Laura Roslin!" he declared, and his voice echoed throughout the creek. Laura thought Bill was the handsomest boy she had ever known. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and beamed when he saw her grinning at him. "And if Saul or any other person says that I shouldn't play with you, then he's a butt!"

Bill couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face as Laura dissolved in peals of laughter. He faced the front again. Without thinking, he blurted out the words that have been playing in his mind since he decided to give Laura the locket. A boy and a girl would marry if they liked each other, he thought, determined. That was what his Ma told him when he asked why people got married so he was fairly certain that he was right.

"And when I'm a Viper pilot, I will come back and marry you, Laura!"

Abruptly, the laughter stopped and Laura stared at him, eyes wide as saucers. "You will what?" she repeated, the silver locket with its chain slipping from her still fingers. _What?_

Gathering up his courage, Bill turned to face her. "When I become a Viper pilot, I will come back and marry you," he stated, sounding as though he told girls that he would marry them every day. "So we can be together forever!" he declared, looking confident as ever.

Laura giggled, shyly. "We are already together, silly." She couldn't help the pleasure in her voice. Bill Adama wanted to marry her! She was almost dizzy with delight._Bill Adama wanted to marry her!_ The same thought ran through her mind the whole day through until she fell asleep that night with a pleasant smile on her face.

-

When Bill was leaning against a large tree, his face buried in his arms and counting to fifty in a game of hide and seek, Laura realized that she did not, in fact, have the silver chain around her neck like she had previously thought. And thinking about it, she remembered that she never did wear Bill's gift after he gave it to her yesterday.

Realizing that she must have most probably dropped or left it somewhere near the creek, she abandoned her search for a good place to hide and instead, ran as fast as she could to the creek.

"Where are you going?" Saul whispered from under a bush, not wanting to expose himself.

Laura stopped and ran back to where Saul was. "I need to go to the creek. I dropped something. I'll be back soon!" She left a bewildered Saul behind as she disappeared between the trees. She would just look for it on the rock and then go back to the rest. All she hoped for was that she found the locket.

The moment Bill heard the sharp cry echoing from the direction of the creek, there was no doubt that it was Laura. His heart told him that it was Laura and so he just knew it. He could _feel_ it in his bones. He stilled, listening intently for another cry.

Saul crept out from under the bushes and ran up to Bill, now realizing what was going on. "Laura's at the creek! She said she was going to look for -" he said as fast as he could but before he could finish, Bill was already gone. Saul ran after him and so did the rest once they had come out of their hiding spots.

Bill ran as fast as he could to the house, the wheels in his mind turning at record speed. _He needed to get help, _he thought. _Laura needed help. He needed a grown up to help. He needed -_

He burst through the door only to slam into someone with an; "Oomph!" and fell back onto the floor.

"Hey kiddo," Bill heard and scrambled to stand. Following his instinct; he grabbed his father's hand, dragging him outside.

"Will?" he heard his mother, but the blood pounding in his ears became a roar when the only thing he knew now was to go to Laura. _Laura needed him._

"Hey, hey… What's the rush? No 'hello, Pa' first?" the older man teased his young, obviously flustered, son. "This is no way to greet your Pa," he chuckled.

"Laura's in trouble!" Bill cried, dragging his father along. The rest of his friends ran up to him as he dragged his father along.

"Laura?" Evelyn echoed, running down the stairs, the commotion unsettling her. "What happened?!"

"Laura's in trouble! I heard a scream from the creek! I know it's her! She _needs_ me!" Bill cried, his eyes glittering with desperation and determination. "Come on!" he cried, pulling his father harder.

"Laura?" his father repeated again, now looking more serious. The last thing he expected when he returned home was to be surrounded by a group of boys wanting his help. This was serious.

"Laura, Joseph. The neighbours' little girl!" Evelyn exclaimed. "The neighbours' girl!"

By then, Bill was already running towards the creek. He turned around and was relieved to see that his father was running behind him, a worried expression etched onto his handsome features. Saul and the rest trailed behind as his mother stood waiting at the porch. He picked up his speed, the same mantra running through his thoughts.

_Hold on, Laura. Hold on. I'm coming. Hold on, Laura._

_To be continued…_

**A/N - Please leave reviews! There's no such thing as too many! I want to know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

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A/N - I've actually been intending to post this so much earlier since this was written months ago. I just got caught up in life and all. So sorry I forgot to post here! There are two chapters so enjoy! Reviews are appreciated.

The Girl Next Door

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By caramelapples

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Chapter 10

Laura kicked as hard as she could, one hand gripping the locket that seemed to sparkle even more underwater tightly. She struggled against the water that pulled at her, swallowing her whole. Her lungs burned and she longed to open her mouth to breathe but knew that she would be swallowing water instead.

Reaching up desperately, Laura felt the moist cool air on her fingertips and kicked even harder, trying to reach the surface so she could breathe. It seemed an eternity before she broke through the surface of the water and took the desperately needed breath. She couldn't scream - her lungs were too tired to allow her to scream. Before she knew it, water rushed over her head and dragged her under the strong currents again. Laura gripped her locket harder, refusing to let go of it. She couldn't.

And Laura struggled less, thinking of Bill and how nice it would be to see him when she woke up. If she woke up. Darkness settled over her like a fog, heavy and suffocating. She tried to kick, but her legs wouldn't move. Her mane of red hair floated around her face and she could see bubbles come out from her mouth, only to float above her, to the surface. To the place she wanted to reach but couldn't even with her hand outstretched.

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Bill gave it to her…

"And when I'm a Viper pilot, I will come back and marry you, Laura!"

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Her mother was baking blueberry pie today… Oh it smelled lovely when she left the house this morning!

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"So we can be together forever!"

Laura wanted to stay awake and she wanted to see Bill but she couldn't, her body betraying her. It felt as though she was floating and she knew she had to kick harder and reach the brightness of the surface, but she couldn't. The currents were too strong.

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"I will never leave you alone, Laura Roslin!"

All of a sudden, she felt distant arms encircling her and holding her firmly against a body. She struggled, trying to break free. It was going to pull her down, she thought faintly. Finally, tired of fighting and getting nowhere, Laura stopped struggling and allowed the heavy fog to cloud her mind, lulling her into unconsciousness.

Bill followed his father with a determined step, distress permeating from every inch of his body. "Is she all right, Pa?" he asked, barely keeping the quaver from his voice. Laura looked so small in his father's arms, so pale and so weak. Everything she was not. He clutched at the locket he had taken from her hands just now when his father had laid her on the ground beside the creek.

_Laura went to look for this_, Bill thought. _Laura fell into the creek because she went to look for the locket he had given her. If he hadn't given it to her, she wouldn't have lost it and she wouldn't have gone to look for it._

_She wouldn't have fallen into the creek._

The older man looked down to his son without slowing down his steps. "I think she will be." He started to walk faster. Joseph was soaked from head to toe, his clothes sticking onto his body like it was part of his skin. The girl he was carrying was shaking, her dress clinging onto her small frame.

Bill had stood frozen on the bank as he watched his father search for Laura in the creek. His gaze had never left his father as the older man submerged beneath the swift-flowing waters. _His Pa would save Laura_, Bill had thought. _His Pa will save Laura. _The immense relief he had felt when his father had finally emerged from under the waters _with _her had flooded his heart and Bill felt as though he could float.

But that had been before he saw how pale and lifeless she looked.

Bill followed wordlessly, willing Laura to be okay. She had to be okay. There was no other option.

Everything else that happened after that seemed to go past in a daze. Bill could hardly remember when they reached the house and when the doctor came over. He couldn't remember when they took her upstairs or how he ended up sitting on the countertop with his mother cleaning the deep scratches on his knee. He couldn't even remember how he had gotten them in the first place.

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Had he fallen down? He would have remembered it if he had, wouldn't he? Perhaps not.

Bill played with the chain and locket he still held in his hands. "Will Laura be all right?" he asked his mother for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, brows drawn together in concern and obvious worry.

Evelyn looked up at her son and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure she will be. What was she doing alone on the creek anyway? I thought she was playing with you boys."

Bill winced when his mother applied more pressure on his knee.

"Sorry sweetheart."

"She was playing with us," Bill started and then wondered if he should continue.

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If only he had been with her all the time…

"Why did she go to the creek?" his mother asked, nodding encouragingly.

"Saul said she went to look for something," he continued and unconsciously tightened his fist.

"Alone? What did she look for?"

__

He wouldn't have let her go alone. He wouldn't have let her go to the creek at all.

"This." Bill held up his hand and dropped the locket from his fist so that it would hang from his fingers.

Evelyn looked up and her gaze caught the sparkling locket dangling from a chain entwined around his finger. "Ah…" Understanding dawned. Now, she understood the attachment that had developed between both children. She had told him to give it to a girl he liked. And he had.

Her son liked Laura Roslin.

"I gave it to her at the creek yesterday, you see," he explained, dropping his arm.

Evelyn nodded, not able to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yes, I see."

"And she must have dropped it or something. So she went back today to look for it and I didn't know she went back," he said quietly, looking down. Before his mother could say anything, he looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears. "I wasn't with her. I didn't know she went back," Bill repeated softly, feeling an ache in his heart. It was similar to the heavy feeling he got whenever he upset her. Only this time, it was so much worse. So much so that Bill didn't bother to fight the tears as he usually would.

"Oh sweetheart…" Evelyn kissed her little boy's forehead, not able to do anything else at the moment that might offer him comfort. It tore at her to see Bill so upset over something he had no control over.

"I wouldn't have let Laura go if I was with her!" he declared, sniffling. "I would have made her stay and find her another locket if I had to!" he huffed, crossing his arms. Bill was angry and frustrated. At what he couldn't even begin to decipher. "There are many other bushes here that I could look under," he added.

Evelyn cupped her son's cheek and brushed his tears away with a thumb. "Sweetie, it's not your fault. It is _not _your fault."

"But I gave her the locket. If I didn't give it to her… And if I knew that she wanted to go back - "

"Stop. Look at me, sweetie." Bill looked down onto his lap. "No, look at me." Evelyn kept her voice stern. Eventually, he looked up at her and she was struck by the sorrow she saw in his blue eyes. "This is not your fault. Okay?"

He nodded but kept silent.

"Laura wouldn't want you to be like this. Laura would want you to be strong for her, wouldn't she?" Evelyn prompted.

"Can I see her?" Bill asked in a small voice, sniffling.

"See what the doctor says before you go," Evelyn told him and kissed his head.

Bill nodded and leaped off the countertop before running up the stairs. There was nothing more he wanted than to go to Laura. He wanted to give her the locket and make sure she wore it this time. He wanted to tell Laura that she was absolutely not allowed to go anywhere alone without him because he had to be there to protect her.

He also wanted Laura to be safe and laughing again when he went to her.

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To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

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The Girl Next Door

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By caramelapples

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Chapter 11

Bill ran up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, Harris following loyally behind him. When he reached the top, he saw his father and Laura's mother talking to the local doctor outside his bedroom. That meant Laura was in his room. Or at least he hoped that Laura was in his room. They would be safe in his room, he thought, frowning thoughtfully.

He wondered if he should interrupt them and stood at the side watching them discreetly. Laura's mother wore a worried look on her face but Bill was glad that he could make out some relief on her face. Before he could stop the dog, Harris ran past him and disappeared into his bedroom. Perhaps it was a good thing. He could use it as an excuse to see Laura should he not be allowed to.

"Sir?" he timidly called, looking up at the doctor. The kind-looking man stopped talking and gazed down at the young boy addressing him. "Is Laura all right, sir?" Bill dared to ask and then held his breath. _Please let Laura be okay, please let Laura be okay, please let Laura be okay…_

The doctor smiled warmly at him. "She'll be fine, son. Don't worry too much about Laura. She'll be up and running soon," he told Bill and then winked at him.

Bill grinned, finding himself able to breathe again. _Laura was safe!_ He peeked into his bedroom as saw Laura lying in his bed, curled up under his blanket. Harris had made himself comfortable on the foot of the bed, watching over his other owner.

Bill straightened up and then half-glanced at the doctor. "Can I see her?"

"Of course. You can talk to her if she's awake."

"Okay," he said, nodding.

"Oh and Bill?" It was Judith who spoke this time. Bill snapped his head upwards and his heart started to pound hard in his chest. _Was he going to be in trouble?_ And it was at this moment that Bill realized even if he was going to get into trouble, he really didn't mind. He couldn't explain why though. "Thank you," the woman finally said, gratitude radiating from her very being. "For taking care of Laura," she added and then smiled at him.

Instead of being glad that he was not in trouble, Bill could feel the familiar stinging at the back of his eyes and blinked several times. _I didn't take care of Laura… If I did, all of this wouldn't have happened._

He nodded, as dignified as he could manage and then went into his bedroom. He wondered if he was allowed to close the door and looked back at the adults who were already resuming their previous conversation whatever it was about. Bill couldn't make himself pay attention to them when Laura was safe and so very real in front of him. On his bed.

He slowly pushed the door shut and then crept up to the bedside where she was facing.

"Are you awake?" Bill whispered to Laura and shot a glance at Harris which looked as alert as ever.

Laura's eyes fluttered open and her gaze fell upon Bill's deep blue eyes. "Hi," she said softly and then smiled up at him. This time, it wasn't a smile that made Bill want to smile as well. His little heart constricted at the sadness he saw in her eyes and he wanted desperately to make her laugh with joy. Cocooned under his blanket, Laura looked so small and Bill wanted to take her to their secret place and then make her happy no matter what it took him.

"Don't be scared," he told her, as reassuringly as he could. "You're safe now." He wondered briefly if she would mind him touching her but decided that since she was the one who first kissed him, she wouldn't mind. Bill reached out and pushed the curl of hair from her cheek. Laura's cheek was very soft, he thought, feeling his ears go red. He was sure that Laura's cheek was the softest cheek in the entire universe.

"I'm not scared," she declared bravely and Bill felt pride bursting out of his heart. His Laura was brave and strong. His Laura could climb trees and didn't mind scraping her knee when other girls feared even the merest height.

"Good. Do you feel okay?" It never hurt to make sure, Bill thought.

"Yeah."

After a moment's silence, Laura spoke up again. "I don't have the locket anymore," she said quietly, trying her best to prevent the tears brimming in her eyes from rolling down her cheek. It had been her _most_ precious thing ever and she had lost it. "I found it at the creek… But then when I woke up just now, I don't have it anymore," she told him softly. "I'm sorry," she sniffled, looking down.

Bill grinned. He could make her happy now. And it was all he wanted. "Look Laura," he prompted, holding out his hand so the chain would dangle from his fingers.

Laura gasped when she saw what Bill had told her to see. The silver chain and its locket caught the sunlight from the window and sparkled magnificently, making it look more magical than ever. "Where did you get that?" Her voice held wonder and surprise.

"You had it in your hand when my Pa carried you from the river," he explained. "I took it to keep it safe." He slid one hand holding one end of the chain around her neck and then closed the clasp, making sure that it was secure. "There, you'll wear it all the time, won't you?"

Laura nodded and beamed at him. "Of course," she said, like not wearing it would be the most ridiculous thing ever.

"And if you go anywhere, you'll make sure you tell me."

Now, his commanding tone was annoying her. "What for?" she snapped, frowning. She didn't like the idea of being controlled by anything. Or anyone.

"What if you get hurt before I become a Viper pilot and come back and marry you?!" he exclaimed as though the idea that it would be an awful long time before he would even go to flight school had never occurred to him. Perhaps it hadn't. "So I'll have to make sure you're always safe," Bill told her simply; logically.

Laura blushed deeply and then smiled. "Oh… I guess that's okay then…" she said shyly, her face and neck warm. The thought that Bill Adama wanted to marry her was the happiest thing that occupied her mind now. She yawned but then tried to keep her eyes open by watching Bill. He noticed her attempts at staying awake however, and knew that it was best if she rested.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"No." The denial came fast and sharp and Bill knew she was lying.

"Don't bluff. You _are_ tired. Go to sleep," he told her, making himself sound as adult as he could.

"I'm not," Laura protested, blinking to keep her eyes open.

"You are. Go to bed or you won't get well," he told her knowingly, hands on his hips.

Laura pouted. "What if I wake up and you aren't here?" She would never admit it, but when she was in the water, it scared her to think that she would never see Bill again. The smell of fresh baked blueberry pie had filled her senses and she heard Bill faintly calling out to her over and over again. And now that he was really there, she didn't want him to leave.

Bill seemed to ponder her words and then stalked over to the drawers where he pulled out a few pieces of paper and a box of colour pencils. He set them down on the floor beside the bed and then looked at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked from the bed, confusion etched onto her face.

He shrugged. "Staying here with you."

Laura beamed at him.

Feeling assured that Bill would not leave her, Laura settled back under the covers and drifted into a welcome slumber, safe and warm in Bill's room, under Bill's blanket and in the presence of the boy that affected her so deeply.

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To be continued…


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